Thread by @Sputnik_India

🚨🇮🇳🇺🇸 Shocking 50% US tariffs on India begin today.

But this is a geopolitical and economic blunder.

The disastrous tariffs are isolating America, accelerating “Make in India” and strengthening India’s relations with Russia and even China!

Thread by @Kanthan2030🧵👇

📞🥺🇺🇸 Modi refuses to answer the US President’s desperate phone calls!

Europe, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, UK… everyone has bowed to the US so far regarding the tariffs.

🇮🇳🔥 But not India!

The European Union, for example, agreed to lower tariffs on US goods, while the US has increased tariffs on European goods. The Japanese and Koreans have agreed to invest vast sums of money in the US, while the latter imposes higher tariffs on those Asian countries.

🕵🏻 This is pure extortion like what the Mafia would do.

But Modi’s government has refused to bow to the US Empire or sacrifice India’s strategic autonomy. According to German media, President Trump has tried to call PM Modi four times in the recent weeks, but the phone has not been answered.

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🤔🇺🇸 For starters, the US demands are neither fair nor logical.

The entire premise of the extra 25% tariffs is India buying Russian oil. Who gave America the right to dictate India’s trade policies? This is tyranny.

🇷🇺 Does Russia ever tell India to not buy American goods and services? No.

Second, the US is not punishing the EU, China or other countries for buying Russian energy. China is the #1 buyer of Russian oil and coal; EU is the #1 buyer of Russian LNG and pipeline gas; and Turkiye is the #1 buyer of Russian petroleum products.

👉 Heck, even the US buys Russian uranium, fertilizers and other commodities.

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🇺🇸🇷🇺 With a forked tongue, the US befriends Russia, while trying to harm the Russian economy and Russia’s geopolitical relations.

The Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska was historic, no doubt. However, if the Ukraine war were to end, the US must demonstrate goodwill, which should include lifting of all anti-Russia sanctions.

🤔 So, how does it make sense to attack Russia’s exports while negotiating peace?

Smiling and stabbing do not go well together in international diplomacy.

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🇺🇸🇮🇳 Yes, the US is the largest export destination for Indian goods, but the overall effect will be negligible. Here’s why.

📊 India exports less than $90 billion of goods to the US, which is about 2% of Indian GDP. So, it’s not the end of the world. But… there’s more.

These exports include a lot of American goods – such as iPhones – and essentials such as pharmaceuticals, which will be exempted from the new punitive tariffs.

👉 The only sectors that will be truly affected are textiles, apparel and diamonds which can find other buyers around the world. Thus, the total impact on the Indian economy will be around 0.5%. It’s a nothingburger.

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🇮🇳📝 This economic war is also an opportunity to reform Indian taxes and regulations.

The first lesson in trade is not to be too dependent on any one country. The vulnerability was created because India trusted the US too much.

👉 Well, this crisis is now the perfect opportunity to reform the Indian economy. Its time to cut the bureaucratic red tape, while creating incentives to boost domestic consumption.

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🇮🇳🛠️ Indian PM Modi is now fired up about “Make in India” or Atmanirbar Bharat or self-reliant India.

In fact, Modi has been talking about this since 2014, but the Indian bureaucrats and corporations have not been very diligent in implementing this wise policy. The share of manufacturing in India’s GDP has been stuck at 14%.

🏭 Improving manufacturing means less imports and more exports, which would boost economic growth and diversify trade partners.

But there are some positive changes. For example, by next year, all the iPhones sold in the US will be assembled in India. And Modi just visited an electric car factory that will start exporting EV all over the world.

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🇮🇳💻 Equally important, it’s time for India to start replacing American software, which has monopoly in many critical sectors in India.

It’s time to learn from China and create replicas of all the American software – from Google and WhatsApp to Amazon AWS and ChatGPT. This will create high-quality jobs and protect national security.

🌐 In this endeavor, India should leverage Russia, China and perhaps BRICS partners. Let’s forge a joint venture project of the Global South to free ourselves from the clutches of the US Empire.

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👉 This is not India’s first rodeo.

🇺🇸 Throughout the Cold War, the US waged hybrid war on India many times. Famously, in 1989, the US tried to coerce India into a Plaza Accord (which eventually destroyed Japan’s economy).

🇮🇳💪 However, India bravely resisted the American pressure to pry open the Indian economy. Eventually, the US relented and backed off after a 12-month stand-off.

The situation, of course, is much different. Countless American companies have significant presence in India. One just needs to visit an Indian mall for a few minutes to witness the US penetration.

👉 However, this also gives India enormous leverage through taxes, sanctions and regulatory hurdles on US companies.

⚠️ So far, India has been patient, but don’t count on it to last forever.

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🤔 We are witnessing profound and confusing times in geopolitics.

🇺🇸 The unipolar moment of the US Empire is coming to an end; and the imperialists are lashing out at everyone and everything.

❌ The American Empire’s war on Russia has failed, its war on Iran was a disaster, and its economic war on China has been an epic failure as well.

💰 Thus, the US is extorting its vassals – Europe, Japan, Korea etc. – and trying to subjugate its friends like India.

However, none of these tactics are sustainable. In fact, they are backfiring as witnessed in the expansion of BRICS, de-dollarization movement around the world, resistance to Western hegemony in Africa, and the strategic autonomy of countries like India.

🤨 The US needs a new vision, but so far the elites seem quite blind.

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